Vraie Cally Balthazar, representing the National People’s Power (NPP), was today (16) elected as the Mayor of Colombo with a majority of votes.
Mr. Hemanta Kumara, also from the NPP, was elected as the Deputy Mayor.
The official inauguration of the newly elected 117 members of the Colombo Municipal Council, who were chosen during the local government elections held on the 6th, took place today (16) at the Colombo Municipal Council’s main assembly hall.
The session was chaired by the Western Province Commissioner of Local Government, Ms. Sarangika Kalhari Jayasundara, with the primary agenda being the selection of a Mayor.
During the secret ballot, Ms. Vraie Cally Balthazar secured 61 votes, while Mr. Riza Sarook, the mayoral candidate representing the National Unity Alliance, received 54 votes.
This year’s local government elections resulted in a closely contested race for the mayoral position in the Colombo Municipal Council, as no single party secured a clear majority. The ruling party managed to win only 48 seats, falling short of a majority, which contributed to the intense competition.
Out of all votes cast, only two were rejected, while 13 votes from opposition members went in favor of the NPP candidate—an outcome that drew particular attention.
Tensions rose within the council over whether the vote for the Mayor should be conducted via a secret ballot or an open vote. When the Municipal Commissioner posed the question, the NPP proposed a secret ballot, while the United People’s Power suggested an open vote.
Eventually, the opposition proposed that the selection of the Mayor proceed via secret ballot, a motion that received unanimous approval.
As a result, the new Mayor was officially elected through a confidential vote.
